NDC youth go wild

Economic activities at Wassa Akropong in the Wassa Amenfi Constituency of the Western Region came to a halt on Wednesday, as hundreds of National Democratic Congress (NDC) activists poured onto the streets in their numbers to demonstrate against President John Dramani Mahama.

They protested against the revocation of the appointment of their Member of Parliament (MP), Akwasi Oppong-Fosu as Local Government Minister by the President on Friday, May 29, 2014.

Clad in red attire, the demonstrators carried placards and marched through the principal streets of the area amid brass band music and chanting of war songs.

Some of the placards read, “President Mahama hear the cry of the people of Amenfi”, “Mahama, don’t send NDC to opposition in Amenfi”, “Fosu is a leader of today”, “Fosu can deliver, give him another chance and “Oppong-Fosu is a man of integrity.

The aggrieved NDC youth later converged on the 31st December Guest House in the area where they categorically told the media that they would vote against the NDC in the next general elections if President Mahama does not re-assign Oppong-Fosu to another ministry.

The NDC youth alleged that the decision of the president constitute a major punishment to the good people of Amenfi East and Western Region as a whole.

Addressing the media after the demonstration, Bright Mawuli, an NDC youth activist, noted that the track-record and the hard work of their MP earned him the appointment as the Local Government Minister.

He indicated that Hon Oppong-Fosu was able to come out with some key major policies that helped the various district assemblies to generate enough Internally Generated Fund (IGF)

He claimed Hon Oppong-Fosu performed his duties excellently when he was appointed a District Commissioner (DC) in Tepa and Obuasi for about 18 months and that his hard work earned him the position of deputy local government minister under the previous Rawlings administration.

“We therefore cannot fathom why President John Mahama should sack such a hardworking minister. We think our MP should be re-assigned to another position,” Mawuli appealed.

He added that the Wassa Amenfi East constituency had been captured by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for 12 years and that through the hard work of their MP, the NDC was able to win the seat in the last general elections.

“When one compares the number of ministerial appointments allocated to Western, Upper West and Eastern Regions, one will not doubt that indeed the Western Region has been marginalized,” he asserted.

“The Western Region had only two cabinet ministers with two deputy ministers and sacking Mr. Oppong-Fosu from the local government ministry without reassigning him is very painful and needs reconsideration by the president.

“We are by this peaceful demonstration sending a signal to the President to reconsider his decision or the NDC youth of Amenfi will advise themselves in the next general elections,” he added.